13. Jasoni Ward
JASONI WARD
Iglanced away from the picturesque view of the sun setting over the Grace Mountains when I heard the door slide open behind me.
Glancing over my shoulder, I immediately smiled when I saw Oaklyn walking toward me.
Not just because she was beautiful, and every time I looked at her I felt super blessed, but she was holding the cake I asked for.
We had gone skiing earlier today because that was what Journi wanted to spend the day doing, and no one was going to oppose her. I could admit that I had a good time using the snowboard, but the girls clearly all went there for the pictures only. Even Journi didn’t try to go down the hill.
When we got back, Oaklyn laid on my chest, showing me the hundreds of pictures she took.
At first, she asked my opinion, but after the third time I said she looked good, she pointed out what was wrong with the photo, then she decided I was useless.
After that, she scrolled through on her own until she had the perfect lineup for her carousel post.
“Happy birthday to you,” she began to sing while strutting over to where I sat relaxing inside the jacuzzi.
I turned slightly to get a better view of her and the cake she’d made.
I wasn’t sure when she’d made it, but the icing was still perfectly intact.
I couldn’t help but think about the last time I had one of these cakes.
It was the day my life changed for the worst. The day that led to the end of our friendship.
When I felt myself getting a little emotional, I squeezed my eyes shut and took deep breaths until I felt emotionally stable again.
“Make a wish,” Oaklyn told me once her song came to an end.
Placing my palms together, I closed my eyes and wished for a lifetime of love, joy, and peace with her.
I wished for all her dreams to come true and for the chance to live the rest of my days by her side.
When I was finished, I opened my eyes, gave her a small smile, then leaned forward to blow out my candles.
Oaklyn clapped her hands excitedly and did the cutest little happy dance. “What did you wish for?”
I zipped my lips and tossed the key away. “I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true.”
She pouted like the big kid that she was. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”
I chuckled while watching her slice me a piece of the cake.
Instead of handing it to me, she placed the cake to the side.
I watched in a daze as she dropped the robe she was wearing on the floor, leaving her standing there in a sexy cheetah print bikini.
I held out a hand to help her join me since she had the slice of cake in her hand.
I felt completely satisfied when she came to sit on my lap.
“You going to feed this slice to me?”
She nodded. “Yep. Open wide.”
I did as I was told, and the sweet flavor of roseberry exploded in my mouth.
I always loved this cake, specifically because it was her family’s recipe.
For our eighteenth birthday, she begged her grandmother for the recipe to bake it for us.
It was clear, over the years, she’d gotten the recipe down to a science because the cake was even better than I remembered.
“Is it good? Do you like it?” she inquired after feeding me another piece.
I nodded once. “I love it. Way better than I remembered.”
“Is it moist enough?”
“Yeah, not as moist as you though.”
She blushed, dropping her chin to her chest with a laugh. “Cut it out, Soni.”
I didn’t push the matter and just enjoyed having her in my space and feeding me until the cake was all gone.
As she was trying to feed me the last piece, the icing fell onto her chest. She moved to get out of the tub, probably to clean it off, but I held her in place.
Locking eyes with hers, I leaned forward and licked the icing off her skin.
“Damn, it tastes even better on you.” She hugged me tightly to her body, not bothering to scold me for being fresh. “Turn around and watch the sun go down with me.” I helped her spin around and placed the empty plate on the edge of the tub.
For a while, we just listened to the music flowing from my Bose speaker while watching the sky arrange itself into an array of oranges, pinks, and purples. “I have something for you,” I finally said.
She turned slightly to glance at me. “Something like what?”
“A gift,” I said simply with a mischievous grin.
I patted for her to let me up, which she did. She propped herself up on the edge of the tub, watching my every move. I dipped inside of the room and came back out within seconds, holding the gift bag.
Oaklyn grinned up at me when I came to stand by the tub. “It’s your birthday. Why are you giving me a gift?”
I sat down on the edge and explained. “Because my birthday wish was you, and I told God if you gave me a second chance, I would spend the rest of my life making you happy, spoiling you, and protecting you.” She tried to hide her face, but I wouldn’t let her. “Here. Open it.”
I handed her the bag and patiently waited for her to reveal what was inside.
She handed the bag back to me after pulling out the two gift boxes.
“Hmm, this one must be a necklace,” she guessed, referring to the longer box of the two.
Instead of confirming or denying, I kept quiet.
When she opened the lid and revealed the jade hairpin resting inside, she squealed excitedly. “Oh my God!”
Seeing how happy she was honestly made me feel so much better about my choice.
I noticed from the C-Drama she made me watch with her that these hairpins were a part of the Chinese culture.
I remembered vividly she told me, in almost all the ones she watched, the main male character bought a hairpin for the female lead.
Now she had one of her own and was damn happy about it.
After admiring it, she glanced up at me with tears in her eyes. “Jasoni,” she whined. “It’s perfect. I love it.”
I kissed her on the forehead. “I knew you would. Let me put it in your hair.” She handed it to me, and because her hair was tied up in a bun, it was easy to slip the hairpin into her hair. “Beautiful,” I complimented once it was in place. “Now, open the other one.”
She nodded then turned her attention to the other box.
She lifted the lid to reveal the authentic jade bangle to match the hairpin.
When she looked up at me this time, her tears were on her cheeks.
“Soni, this is . . .” Her words faded out as she continued to admire the jewelry.
“It’s your birthday. How can you do this for me? ”
“The smile on your face is worth it.”
She sniffled. Turning toward me, she stuck her arm out. “Can you put it on me?”
I nodded. “Of course I can.” I took the bracelet from her and slid it on her wrist. “I love how much you admire those C-Dramas, even though I think they’re dramatic as hell.
So, I wanted to do something to show you that I am serious about you.
” I sat up straighter and lifted my head a little higher.
“’Til the mountains are flat, the rivers dry, winter thunders, summer snows, and the heavens and earth merge into one—only then will I dare part from you. ”
During my contemplation on what to purchase for her, I also looked up some Chinese poetry.
I felt like that one portrayed my feelings in the most upfront way.
“I know we’ve only recently reconnected, but these last few days have been some of the best in my thirty years.
Over the last ten years, my life became something colorless and dull without you in it.
Now that I have you back in my life, I’m not willing to let you go for nothing in this world. ”
Water splashed everywhere as Oaklyn hopped up and crashed into me.
We held on to each other tightly, making me feel more confident in my choice.
“Jasoni, I forgive you for the past. We never have to mention the last ten years again, because all that matters is the present. And presently, I can’t see my life without you either.
I love you. I love you so fucking much. I’ve always loved you too,” she admitted hoarsely.
I held her a little tighter because distance between us was the last thing I wanted. All the years of doubt, regret, and sadness disappeared in an instant. This was all I ever hoped for.
She glanced up at me with glossy eyes. “What?”
I shook my head slowly. “Just thinking it’s been a long time coming. We have always been a little more than friends, and now we’re officially lovers.”
She shook her head in disagreement. “No, we’re more than that. Whether in this lifetime or the next, you will always be my choice. You are my soulmate.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and brushed her nose against mine. “It feels so good to finally have you back at home.”
I was going to smile, but her lips on mine took away my desire because, at that moment, all I could think about was devouring her. We kissed feverishly until we were panting. I noticed a frown on her face when we separated. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed, leaning her head against my shoulder while admiring her new bracelet. “I’m just sad this trip is coming to an end tomorrow.”
I placed a kiss on the side of her face and grinned. “The trip is ending, but our story is just getting started.”